𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐃 𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓. You could find at least one of them at a party in New York City. It didn't matter if it was during the week or weekend, one person from the summer squad would be at that party and would more than likely end up in the news the next day. That was mostly because of need to find peace after having to be perfect all the time or having to be careful because if their parents caught them doing something they weren't supposed to, all of their heads would be in pitchforks on the beach. The summer squad would always end up throwing a party if someone else wasn't, which never ended well.

The Dubois twins were the party throwers of the group. They were the ones who could plan a party within a few days and throw the party that following Friday or weekend. They always had alcohol and even drugs. Theo didn't know how they did it, mostly because if he were to throw a party it would take him at least 2 to 3 weeks to plan it before even throwing it. Theo couldn't help but stress himself out as he helped the squad clean up the Dubois beach house. He hadn't wanted to even throw a party, needing to finish his summer read, but Caleb had forced him into helping. Saying something about how they all needed to let out and hang out as a group. After the argument, Cora and Caleb couldn't even be in the same room without Caleb rushing off, holding his chest as he walked off. Same with everyone else. Felix couldn't be around anyone but Harveen since everyone but Harveen and Theo were mad at him.

"T, can you come help me," Adi asked her brother as she opened a table cloth package

"Yeah sure," Theo replied as he dropped the package he had and walked towards Adi

"Everyone's been so tense since the argument, and I wanted to know if we are okay? I know we didn't fight but the look of disappointment on your face told me enough," Adi said as Theo helped her put the table cloth on the long white table.

"I'm not mad or disappointed, I'm just tired and all of you arguing didn't help. Fran is trying to hold us all together and it's not working. We are practically doing everything we possibly can to tear us all apart, and it's hurting her in the process," Theo told his sister as he flattened the table cloth out

"Did- did you hear them come back inside last night?" Adi found herself asking, not hearing the dubois twins come back in after their dad asked to talk to them

"I didn't, but that doesn't mean anything, Adi. They do this all the time, their dad does something, they disappear while we set up a party,"Theo tried to reassure her but it didn't work, the girl still felt the large knot in her stomach at the thought of the dubois twins not being okay.
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Francesca sat in the corner of the pool garage, feeling a burning sensation on the side of her stomach. She spent almost the entire night outside with Caleb, both of them not having enough strength to make it inside to the warm heated home. She had tried calling her mom but she wasn't answering her phone, neither was conrad. Francesca wanted to hug them, to feel comfort but instead she stayed in the pool garage, hugging her unconscious brother. She had tried to keep him awake but the boy had been way to exhausted. His eyes had fluttered shut before she could stop them, scared if he fell asleep, he may not wake up. Caleb had more extreme injuries, more than likely a concussion, broken ribs, and maybe even a broken hand from trying to hold Gabriel Dubois away from him.

"Cay, it's morning, you need to get up," Fran shook him in an attempt to wake him up, but the boy grunted, turning on his side and falling back asleep

Francesca grumbled as she pushed herself up from the ground, got on her knees, and reached her had over to Caleb's face. She brought her hand back before letting her hand make contact with the side of his face. The loud crack of Caleb's skin sounded through the garage as Caleb jumped awake, his face contorting into anger. Caleb sent a glare towards his sister as he tried to stand up, swaying ever so slightly on his feet. Francesca grabbed her brothers shoulder tightly as she stood up, making sure he didn't fall. The Dubois twins dusted themselves off before they left the garage, wanting to try and look as if they didn't just spend the entire night outside. As the neared the door, the saw the party decorations covering the house. A smile appeared on Frans face as she entered the house, not seeing anyone in sight.

"Go upstairs, shower and clean up, meet me back down here in 30," Fran told her dazed brother, seeing how his thoughts had wandered off into oblivion

"Yeah yeah," was all Caleb said as he walked away from his sister

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Felix wasn't sure how to feel after the argument with the squad. He was sure everyone hated him and the thought made him physically ill. The group had continued to fall apart and he couldn't help but think that it was all his fault. If he hadn't gone to Cora, she wouldn't have started this drama and the group could have been friends again. But that wasn't the case. In reality, the group wasn't talking and couldn't be in the same room without someone leaving or arguing with another. Felix hated himself for causing the group to drift even more than they already had. He knew he had destroyed his relationship with Hazel by going to Cora instead of her. He could see it on her face as she glared at him at the dining table. He could see her eyes darken every time they were in the same room. He knew he had changed her, he just didn't know if it was for the better for the worse.

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To say Theo was exhausted would be an understatement. He hadn't slept much the night before, worried about Adi and the Dubois twins. He dragged himself through the day, needing to help Fran and Caleb set up for the party. Adi and even Felix, surprisingly, had tried to get the boy to stop and go rest, but Theo being Theo refused and continued to push himself beyond his limits. He had to be perfect, if he wasn't, he was nothing. Theo fox would be nothing without perfection.

"God, Theo you promised this would be perfect" Caleb said as he examined the crooked banner Theo had put up on the banister. Theo felt the band snap in him as the raged built up in him

"I'm sorry that I can't be perfect like everyone else in this God forsaken group! I have tried my hardest and I have kicked my own ass but I am so tired of being perfect and acting perfect. I'm not and I never have been. I thought coming here would help me not think about my dad and what he needs of me but clearly it's all of you are exactly like him. I thought that maybe just maybe I wouldn't feel the need and the pressure to be perfect after them but no clearly not. I can't fucking take this" He yelled in pure rage as he got up and stormed off in anger. He had never felt this way before and it was hurting him.

He felt weird. That was the easiest way to describe how he felt as he stormed off to his bedroom. Theo hardly ever got angry, and when he did, he was able to calm himself down but now he couldn't. He couldn't calm himself down and that scared him. He knew what his sisters anger was like and he didn't want that. He didn't want to hurt those around him. That's why he had used his wall as a way to let his anger out. As his door shut behind him, he let his fists collide with the wall.

"Woah woah, T, calm down," Adi rushed out as she placed her phone down and rushed over to her rage filled brother

"Stay back," Theo muttered, rage flowing through his voice as he spoke

"T, you need to calm down and tell me what's wrong," Adi explained as she reached her hand up to his shoulder, but before she could reach it, he shoved her hand away harshly

"God, why can't you just leave me alone!?" Theo yelled, causing Adi to jump slightly as she took quick steps away from the boy

"Adi-" Theo spoke after realizing he shouldn't have talked to her like that

"It's fine, I'll leave you alone," Adi rushed out as she quickly rushed out of the bedroom, scared to be around her brother now

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Felix wasn't that fond of the party. He never even really liked parties or going into public to celebrate anyway. Although he would attend, wanting to apologize to everyone for Cora's actions, he wasn't so sure what to think about the entire thing. The whole reason they were throwing a party was because of Gabriel Dubois, who had been punched by an angry Adi earlier that day after Adi saw Frans bruised face. He knew they wanted to forget it happened, but he couldn't help but think that this whole thing was a bit stupid.

As Felix walked into the backward of the Dubois beach house, he noticed a tipsy Hazel downing their entire cup of cheep beer from a company that could deliver to them. A frown formed on his face as he awkwardly stepped over to them. After the Caleb situation, he didn't go to Hazel, thinking they wouldn't understand and in the end, that resulted in the normally happy Hazel to be pissed. He knew they had a right to be mad, but he couldn't help but think it was a tad bit childish to be that angry over nothing.

"Hazy, what are you doing?" Felix found himself ask them as he got closer to them, being able to smell the alcohol on their breath

"Drinking, what does it look like?" Hazels tone was very blunt and sharp as they spoke

"You don't drink," Felix felt a wave of anxiousness flow over him as he started playing with his hands

"I do now, do you have a problem with that, Felix," Hazel practically sneered as they refilled their red solo cup

Felix couldn't help himself as he stepped away from them, a painful expression coming over his face. They had always called him li or fe, not once have they ever called him Felix. That hurt more than being ignored by them. Trying to cover himself up, he stepped forward again, grabbed their wrist and dragging them away from the people who were to drunk to notice. Hazel stumbled into his back as they stopped, now very uneasy on their feet as they felt their mind and feelings go numb.

"What the hell is up with you?" Felix asked with concern in his voice

"Nothing, I'm fine," They gave Felix a fake smile as they swayed slightly

"You're being a bitch, don't act like anything I did, did any harm to you. If anything, this is why I don't come to you. You're being childish over me relying on someone else, grow up Hazel," Felix felt a new feeling of anger inside him. He couldn't believe they were being this childish.

"I still don't see why you didn't come to me, you're being really stupid about this, Felix," Hazel explained as they continued to sway, their words ever so slightly slurred to the point where you could hardly make them out

"I'm being stupid!? I'm not being stupid, and you wonder why I don't come to you for things, this is why," Felix was filled with rage as he spoke

"You're so quick to judge people when they come to you to talk about things Hazel, I confided in someone else, and guess where that got me? No where, absolutely no where," He added as he crossed his arm over his chest, biting his lip as he lost himself in thought

"I'm not doing this," Hazel told him as they walked forward, letting their shoulder collide with Felix's as they walked past him, leaving a now dazed out Felix

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The party had been a success so far. Most of the guests were drunk or tipsy, only excluding certain people who didn't like drinking or were DD. Theo was glad his friends could enjoy it, he really was, but he still felt the rage flowing through him as he squeezed the bottle of vodka tightly in his hand. He wasn't a big drinker but he wanted to feel numb. He didn't want to feel the effects of having to be perfect all the time. He didn't want to feel the tight feeling him his chest as he choked down sobs. His hands were scared and still bloody as he brought the bottle up and took a long hard sip.

"Hey, I don't think you should be drinking in your state, mate," Felix chuckled slightly at his rhyming skills

"Get it, state and mate, not funny? Yeah okay," Felix awkwardly laughed as he slid down the wall and sat next to an intoxicated Theo

"Do you ever just get tired of life? Like you just don't want to live anymore?" Theo asked after a few moment of silence

"I haven't, do you feel that way?" Felix couldn't help but let concern flow into him

"Yeah, um I sorta punched a wall earlier and it made me realize that life sucked and wasn't worth it, not when your parents are like mine," Theo admitted, bringing the bottle back up to his lips and taking another sip before it was ripped from his grasp

"Let me try," Felix muttered softly as he shakily brought the bottle up to his lips and allowed the strong liquid to flow down his throat, making him cough a lot as he handed Theo the bottle

"Strong? Yeah, that's the point," Theo let out a drunken laugh as the two boys shared the bottle, Felix only took 2 sips but he could feel the effect still

The two boys were still sitting in the corner when Cora stumbled over to them, she was very obviously drunk as she took slow and unsteady steps towards them

"Cora? What's wrong?" Felix asked as he felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach

"Francis and Colby are shots taking," Cora slurred as she stumbled over her feet and fell into the wall the two boys were sitting against

"Francis and Colby? Fran and Caleb are taking shots?" Felix asked, trying to stifle his laugh at the drunken blonde

"Hmm yesh," Cora slurred, trying to say yes and yeah at the same time

The two boys broke out in laughter at the girl, finding whatever she was saying funny and although Cora didn't find it funny, she couldn't help but join in the laughter.

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well that was something lol....

Im sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out and that it's so short, going through a bit of writers block rn and it's hard for me to write but here it is.

I love this chapter and I want to thank you guys for getting this book to 800+ reads! Thank you all sm and I love you all!

Make sure to vote and comment! I love hearing from you guys, and if you want to see anything in the book, don't be afraid to put it in the comments.

Date: 10/23/22
Word count: 2675
Love y'all, Laine